Beyond One
by Serena Rose
Summary: The abuse of a young Goddess has gone to far. Her escape is possible...but who will help her when her new home is attacked by beings with magics far beyond her knowledge to counter?...*The final 3 chapters are up!!!* R
1. Prologue

Beyond One  
  
Key Terms  
  
Bonded: When a god or Goddess was born, they were chosen by a mage animal. Usually the animal resembled that being in away, be it either on mind, strength, attitude, courage, or looks. An animal and his/her chosen are bonded and connected mentally, physically, magically, and emotionally. Whatever one experienced so did the other. A bonded pair can see through each other's eyes and mindspeak.  
  
Mindspeech: This is the mental way of talking to someone, whether or not they can mindspeak themselves.  
  
Elements: The five spirits of Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning and Earth that created the Universe. In their creating, they left great tides of their power to sustain the great abyss. Mages learn how to use the left over energies to do their workings.  
  
Mage: A mage is someone or something that can use and or control the Elemental powers that come from the Element spirits. However, they can only use one at a time.  
  
~Adept: The highest level mage. They are able to use all 5 of the Elements  
  
~Master: The middle level of mage. They can use 2-4 of the Elements.  
  
~Journeyman: The lowest level mage. They can use only one or two of the Elements.  
  
Working/Spell: A working is when a mage uses the Elemental power to cast a spell.  
  
Second Sight: The second sight is where a mage can switch their vision from seeing the physical world and energies, to seeing the magical/Elemental world and energies.  
  
Scrying: Scrying is a mental way to see someone or something far away. Only mages can scry using a mirror, bowl filled with water or ink or by looking at anything that reflects. An upper class mage can scry using only their mind.  
  
Prologue  
  
There was once a place where gods, Goddesses and their life bonded animals resided; a world all of it's own. It was a place of power and domination; a place where less powerful beings were mocked, ridiculed, abused and eventually driven to suicide no matter what their bonded said or did to help. A place where the powerful fed on the weak. Some of the weak managed to escaped from the hell hole that many had come to call Douleur, by finding a hole in the shield that protected Douleur from the interrupted Elemental currents that would tear their homes apart. Only the bonded animals could get their weak chosen out, and that required a great deal of will and control on their part.  
  
There was one such case of abuse and torment with a young girl named Raena. Her parents died in the Great Accident that killed so many of the Adept mages and a few of the higher-ranking Masters. Almost all of the Adept mages had been called to repair a hole in the shield that protected their world. In the process, one of the Masters became wary and faltered in the working, causing the balance of magics to change. The mages, the spell and the shield were all connected, as was the common in large workings, and the shield backlashed to the mages causing a big explosion of Elemental powers. Reana's parents were of the highest level in that particular working and had been in charge, many of the victim's families blamed Raena for something completely out of her hands.  
  
At the time of their death, she was only 7. No one offered to take her in to their home and raised her. She grew up with only her bonded tiger, Athena, for friends and family. Before that accident she was a happy child, however, she was seen as exotic, and was treated differently than every other citizen of their world. She was small even for a child, and had extraordinarily strong powers, even for a Goddess. Having long curly sunset blond hair kept half up in a bun that was secured with a circlet of star shaped diamonds and eyes the blue of a crisp fall day on a fair skinned elegantly slender face, didn't help either. All the others had dark brown or black hair that was kept straight and back in a braid or cut short above the eyebrows; eyes that were purple from the time of birth till the day they died. After her parents died she changed her name to Gaea and gave up most of her powers for good. At least she thought that she had given them up, Athena had sent them into hibernation instead. She was a clever cat and had many gifts, she had sensed that Gaea would need them in the future.  
  
After that, Gaea was seen as weak, she now had powers the equivalent to a semi-trained journeyman. She and Athena received weekly, if not daily, torment sessions. There was nothing that they could do to get away from it. Since Athena and Gaea were connected mentally and physically, Athena felt and saw everything that happened and vice-versa. Their case was very unusual because normally, a basher would leave the bond animal alone. In this case, Athena was also seen as weak and therefore made a target. She, like her chosen, was for small, even for a female. Also, like Gaea, she was of abnormal coloring. The animals, bonded or not, were of a great many different colors, and were never all one color. Especially the tigers, the Elemental Spirit's most highly favored creation. Athena was completely white with silver stripes and a silver band across her eyes. Her eye color matched that of her chosen also, making them a prime target for abuse.  
  
The abuse and torment went on for years, till one day when she was 16, it stopped…completely. There were weeks without even a catcall. This was strange, and made the two even more tense. They would sit up at night and wait for a surprise attack. But weeks turned into months and no one so much as bumped into them. They both finally relaxed and lived their lives in peace. Little did they know, their vacation of serenity was about to come to an abrupt and frightful end… 


	2. The Fight

Chapter 1  
  
It was a beautiful clear morning in mid June and the day was warm. Gaea dozed under silk sheets in the sunlight that poured in her open window. It was still early morning so she didn't have to get up just yet. She could hear Athena dozing in the room just out side hers, her receiving chamber which had turned into a guard post/bed room for Athena. She must have dozed off because she all of a sudden woke to a frightened warning from Athena.  
  
:Dearheart! Get up! Intruders! Intruders!:  
  
With that Gaea was on her feat and ready to defend her self. She opened the bonded link between herself and Athena to see who these intruders actually were. But as she did so she received a flood of blinding pain in the right side of her head that knocked her back on to her bed. Then before she could mentally shield herself from further pain, another blow of pain was shared between the bonded pair, this time I the ribs.  
  
{They must have broken a few ribs. That will slow our retreat.} Gaea thought as soon as she had her shield in place and the pain was in the back of her mind. She sat up again and prepared to fight again. She could feel the pain and frustration in her bonded, as Athena struggled to defend herself and keep the bastards away from her chosen. Just then, Gaea felt a stab of fear in the back of her mind.  
  
:Chosen, alert! They are coming in. They're armed! Beware!: Was the only warning she got before her door burst open and five males almost two head lengths taller than her strode in like they owned the place. She was a bit of an empath and could feel the greed and lust for blood pouring from them, unshielded as they were. The tallest one stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her on to the bed.  
  
:Smallone! Help!!!: Gaea called desperately as she tried to make for the door and got caught up in the sheets. As she fell she screamed mentally for help, knowing that no one would come, for, no one was linked mentally to her and she wasn't a very strong mindspeaker. She turned over and kicked out of the sheets as the attackers advanced upon her now freed body. She rolled to one side of the ring leader and swipe-kicked him causing him to lose his footing and fall. She took advantage of this moment of incapacitation and kicked out with her other foot and caught him right in the ribs. As he cried out in pain and rolled away from her, another two took his place. By this time she was on he feet and in a fighting stance. She knocked the first two out and broke the other two cronies wrists.  
  
Suddenly she felt a wave of power very unfamiliar and very foreign. It swept over them, and as she looked around, she saw that her would be attackers were drawing it in and they were healing themselves right before her eyes. She knew that they were healers in training, but one can not heal himself until after they graduated from the School of Healing.  
  
:Athena? What Elemental power is this? Can you feel it?:  
  
:Yes, Dearheart. I can feel it. I am trying to talk to my guards and see if they know what is happening.:  
  
:Good luck getting anything out of them. It just feels so cold and I can feel an overwhelming hatred in it. I am scared:  
  
:Don't let it know that Gaea. It will count it as a weakness and feed upon it.:  
  
Then just as suddenly as it had come, the power left and the five boys that she had grow up with, turned and lunged at her all at once. She was caught off guard after talking to Athena and was taken down to land at the bottom of the pig pile. She heard a crunch and a few cracks following, then nothing but the laughter and taunts from the weight that was holding her down to the floor in no hopes of escape.  
  
:Athena!!! Help!!! Their talking about rape and hot coals and chains in dark dungeons!!! Help!!!!!!  
  
Suddenly she felt a hand on her mind drawing her away. Things around her began to waver and move. The people that were holding her down weren't any more, they were leaving, frightened out of their wits by…something. Everything began to get dark and she could no longer feel her body.  
  
:Ath…e..n….a…: was all Gaea could get out before there was nothing but darkness as her conscience slipped away into an empty cold abyss. 


	3. Awakening a sleeping Giant

Chapter 2  
  
Gaea awoke to find herself in complete darkness. She felt a damp coolness all around her, but her body was warm as if there was a warm breeze blowing only around her. She opened up her second sight to see that she was encircled in a blanket of Element Fire meant t keep her safe and warm.  
  
{Well…if I was captured they want me alive. That could be good or bad. But where am I? What twisted place is this? I guess I'll have to find out for myself…I can't sense where Athena is. What if they killed her?!?}  
  
She attempted to move to turn around to see if her tiger was near her and was unconscious and shielded, she wouldn't be able to "feel" her bonded if that were the case. As she did so pain surged in her muscled as they protested to the movement. She gasped and cursed under her breath and tried to uncurl again, slowly this time. It took five minutes and a lot of patience before she was uncurled enough to be able to sit up with out crying out in pain. The Earth beneath her was solid but unfamiliar. It was made of a soft stone polished till it was smooth. There was chunk of it lying beside her as she had painfully discovered and she used it to help prop herself up. She still could not see anything so she began to blindly reach around her, hoping t find something to indicate the presence of others or a clue as to where she was. She found a few more boulders and many small pebbles before she gave it up as a lost cause.  
  
She propped herself up on a boulder again to assess her current physical condition. {Nothing seams to be broken, well that's a plus. A few bruises and pulled muscles but I would have expected that after a fight. Where is Athena? I still can't sense her…}  
  
:Athena? Smallone? Where are you?: Gaea called out quietly into the nothingness surrounding her. She hoped that something nasty hadn't heard her desperate call to her bonded. She felt something stir in the back of her mind, then she felt Athena's presence like a candle in the dark that encircled her.  
  
:Smallone, where are you?: Gaea called out again, but louder this time for she knew that Athena was at least alive. She opened up the shields that had protected her from Athena's pain when they had been attacked, how days ago? She felt the same soreness and stiffness that she herself felt and aches in places she did not hurt.  
  
:Athena. Don't move, I'm coming to you. Hold on.: Gaea demanded. {I hope she's alive enough to hear and understand me. Not that she'd obey me anyway.}  
  
She got up, rather painfully and followed her empathy to where her bonded lay some 10 feet away. {If I had just gone on a little farther, wouldn't have to risk being over heard.}  
  
:We won't be overheard, I promise.: Came Athena's voice, relaxing some of Gaea's extremely tense back muscles.  
  
:How do you know for sure? Are you okay? Where are we?: Gaea, seemingly unconsciencely, spat out all her questions out at once. Athena could feel a variety of emotions raging in her chosen. Fear, anger, anxiety, compassion, thanks, it was a storm that she would have to help calm down. She waited a moment for her loved one to find her and fuss a bit before she spoke.  
  
:I'm fine. Don't strain your self. Just breathe, and listen. Do you remember those stories that I told you about the abused gods and their bonded leaving Douleur. For good?:  
  
:Yes, I remember.: Gaea answered, not knowing where her friend was going with it.  
  
:Well, I got us out. We're in a place where no one can hurt us, for, they know not that we are here. It is a place where all five of the Elements come together to create what's known as a solar system. A star with a planet or two revolving around it.: Athena explained, she got the impression that Gaea didn't understand what a solar system was. :Like Douleur. Douleur was a planter revolving around a star, thus creating a solar system.:  
  
Gaea sent a mental picture of what Athena had just described.  
  
:Yes. It is not inhabited, so we will not be disturbed. However, it has no water for plant life anymore. I was destroyed when a neighboring star collapsed. It won't happen again. But you will need to use your mage talent to make our new home inhabitable.: Athena wasn't sure how Gaea would take that last part and threw up her shields just incase her bonded decided to attack her mentally for even mentioning her and mage talent in the same sentence. But no attack came, just a puzzled feeling.  
  
:But I'm a journeyman, what can I do? I gave all but the most primitive powers up…they're gone!: By now Gaea was utterly confused by all of this and nothing made sense.  
  
:Dearheart, let me tell you something that I have held inside for a very long time. One of my gifts is foresight, however…:  
  
:Then why did you warn us that mom and dad were going to die!!! You should have told us!!! People could have been saved!: Gaea yelled anger and anguish bubbling up inside her, tears threatening to stream down her face as they had almost 10 years ago.  
  
:Dearheart calm your self, f I had known I would have said something. But, I didn't. Things happen and they happen for a reason. If I were meant to know about something, the Elements would have allowed me to see it, or in some cases, feel or sense it. Your powers are not gone, they are simply dormant. They still reside inside of you, what you saw when you exhaled your powers was the residue from all the workings that you had created and your sadness turned in to magic. It was an illusion that I created because I had sensed that you would need your mage talent later on. All you have to do is call upon it and it will come. I promise. We can do this, together.: Athena sighed, feeling all the weight of that secret, kept for so long, finally lift and give her a peaceful feeling for a moment. One that she had not had in close to 10 years.  
  
:So your saying that al I have to do is call upon it and it will awaken? Just like that?: now something's made sense. Like the fact that she could make mage lights (balls of light that lit up a small room brighter than 10 candles could) that would last for as long as she felt like keeping a room bright. No journeyman could hold a mage light up past 12 hours without exhausting their stores of energy. {Interesting. I can't believe that she kept that a secret from me for so long. That must have taken a lot of strength and will power on her part.}  
  
She took a very long moment that seemed to take forever, to regain face and strength. She looked Athena in the eye, searching for confirmation of all the information she just received. She opened up her empathetic gift and searched Athena's inner most soul for answers. When she found what she needed she nodded and looked away.  
  
Gaea took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. She eased her self into a light trance with all the grace and practice of one who had done this everyday for decades. Then in into a deep trance so as to be able to reach the inner levels of her mind most efficiently, wasting as little energy as possible. She found the place where Athena had stored her higher training of mage craft. It was sealed with a need/want spell. This meant that if she ever got herself into something that Athena couldn't get her out of, her powers would open up to her like a flood gate and she would be able to heal, defend, essentially help herself as she once had been able to. She would have all her powers and gifts back at adept level, as they had been before the Great Accident.  
  
She opened up her mind to the seal and poured al her empathetic training into projecting her want to have it open. She heard a rush and then a click. All the power than had been held captive there for years rushed out to over-come her. For a moment her vision was clouded with her mage, empathy, farsight, and healing gifts coming back into adept level.  
  
For a moment Athena thought that the return of her power had overwhelmed her bonded. It had happened to others before. Athena looked away, she could not bear to see Gaea in this state. {She is strong. She will not let her gifts win.}  
  
:Are you ready to start?: Gaea asked, startling Athena.  
  
:Ready when you are Dearheart.: Athena said, attempting to cover her startlement.  
  
It took them both a short time to regain her control over her almost unused powers. It was nightfall before she had everything under her control.  
  
:We might as well get some sleep. I'll hunt in the morning. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.: Athena said exhausted. She had worked as hard as Gaea, for she was in trance helping control the floods of power that Gaea would unintentionally invoke.  
  
:I agree. Good night Smallone.: Gaea said as she lay down next to Athena and drifted off to a dreamless sleep. 


	4. The Beginning

Chapter 3  
  
In the morning when they woke, they found that they were on a vast wasteland of nothingness. The planet had dried up from a drain of the planet's life force. Any creature that had survived the initial drain had up and fled from the starvation and inevitable disease that follows a depletion as large scale as had occurred her. Thus, their hunger would have to wait.  
  
:How do I even start healing something like this. They didn't exactly cover this situation in my training.: Gaea was profoundly disturbed at the sight that lay before her. :I don't think that all they healing power in the world can cure something of this magnitude. This place hasn't seen life force in so long, if I open up to it, it might suck out all of mine before I realize what is going on. Do you have the strength to control something like that Smallone?:  
  
It took Athena a long moment to answer Gaea. Athena was no fool, she knew her own strength and abilities. She thought a moment then answered very cautiously. :Yes. The Element Earth will tell you what the planet will do, if you listen to it. The same goes for Element Water, if you listen, they will tell.: She wasn't sure if Gaea would understand what Athena was telling her, after all, she never got very far into using her talents to find this out for herself.  
  
:Mother said something of the like to me once, she said that I would understand when I was older. I guess I am older now, now would as good as a time as any to understand.: Gaea had cried herself dry after her parents died, she no longer had any tears left. She only felt the sadness and emptiness of their absence.  
  
It took Gaea only a brief moment to recall the evoking phrases that allowed her to tap into the currents of Elemental energy. She closed her eyes and opened up her second sight. When she opened them again she saw everything as it was in magical energies. The ground she stood on, along with the rest of the planet, to be the black color of death. As she looked up into the sky, she saw the currents flowing very far away. She took a deep breath and transferred her conscience over to her metal self-(a mental projection of one's physical self). She then sent her mental double up into the currents of Earth energies above the planet's atmosphere. She touched the largest current that was still close enough for her to reach and grabbed it. She tugged it all the way back down to her physical body and held on to it until she felt it flowing within her. After she was certain that the power would remain flowing into her, she transferred her conscience back to her physical self. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that Athena was looking at her in a way she had never seem her look at anything before.  
  
:What? Why are you looking at me that way: Athena seemed as confused as Gaea was. Yet she still didn't answer Gaea. :WHAT!: The mental shout seemed to wake Athena up from whatever day-dreamland she was in.  
  
:Oh…nothing. It's just that, well, I haven't seen you like this I a very long time.:  
  
:Like what?: Gaea began to feel annoyed and Athena could sense it, no use in trying to change the subject as she most often could.  
  
:Happy. Really, truly happy. You always were the happiest when you used your mage gift. Now that you have it back…: Athena paused for a dramatic sigh. :It's like having the old Reana back.: Gaea was quite surprise to hear her old name again. No one had called her that in almost 10 years. As she thought about it, she really was happy. For the first time in a very long time, she was happy. There was a long moment of silence that hung in the air like a sheet drying on a clothesline.  
  
:Well,: Gaea said, breaking the silence. :Shall we start?:  
  
It was well after dusk by the time they finished restoring the planet's life force. They were both exhausted and starving. They hadn't eaten in 3 or 4 days, but there weren't even plants to eat yet. Those came tomorrow after the oceans, seas, rivers, streams and creeks that would provide a water source for the things that would grow and inhabit there. But at least the land didn't look the color of dead. Instead of glowing a dead blackish purple, it now glowed red, the color of life force, and not the green of vegetation or blue of water. For now all they could do was attempt sleep on an empty stomach. 


	5. The Metting

Chapter 4  
  
The period of sleep was broken by periods of wakefulness. Athena woke up first a few hours after dawn to see a few animals poking around the land below the plateau they had chosen to sleep on.  
  
:Gaea, wake up Dearheart. Yesterday's working seems to have attracted a few creatures.:  
  
Gaea sat up and blinked as the sun shone on her face. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she combed her hair out with her fingers. And replaced the circlet of diamonds that she had taken out last night to keep from breaking on the rocks. She glanced down in the direction that Athena indicated with her paw. Sure enough, there were a few things that appeared to be animal prowling around down there. {Well, as long as they don't come up here and nose around, I don't care}. Gaea thought warily. She would need all her concentration to finish the working. She was lazily staring out at nothing when she thought she heard someone talking. When she opened her shields out of habit, she "heard" one of the animals, a cat by the way it half purred when it talked, mindspeaking someone. She listened for a moment more before she could stand it no longer.  
  
:Athena? Do you hear that? Something down there is mindspeaking. I can't make out the responses, can you?: Although Gaea's ability to mindspeak was above normal, Athena was as close to adept in her ability to mindspeak as one could get.  
  
:Yes, they're talking about the planet. They think that they might be able to make their home here. They are wondering what or who returned the life force. Shall we intervene?: Athena loved intruding in on others conversations, but she was very good at it. A long as she had Gaea linked in to project feelings of friendship and peace, and to interpret the feelings of the victim, she succeeded in not offending anyone. They linked together quickly and easily.  
  
:Pardon em, not to be rude, but where did you come from?: Athena said her most friendly voice. Gaea had all her shields open, except the ones against physical and magical attacks, so that she could "hear" and feel clearly. She felt reactions of surprise and then fear. Then came the caution before the answer. Since Gaea and Athena were linked, Athena could feel everything that Gaea picked up from the 2 victims they had surprised.  
  
:Who are you? And where are you?: There was a bit of alarm in that mind voice. Athena was having so much fun it was all she could do to keep her self from laughing.  
  
:I'm sorry, forgive my tigers rudeness. My name is Gaea and my smart- allic bonded here is named Athena. If you'll just turn around, you'll see us standing on the edge of the plateau that over looks the valley here.: Gaea responded for Athena who was doubled over with her withheld laughter. She looked down upon the valley where the animal was standing. Sure enough it looked up at her. She could see it clearly because she was using her gift of farsight. However, she doubted that it could see her as she did it.  
  
There was a long silence in which the other 2 beings were, as Athena told her in-between deep breaths, conferring between each other. It was sometime after Athena had regained her composure that they got an answer.  
  
:You said, "…your bonded…" are you from Douleur?: The cat like voice asked very conspicuously.  
  
:Yes, we are. How do you know its name?: Gaea was very interested, now, in these new comers.  
  
:It is a place that had sent a large blast of energy out in to the abyss that hit the palace of my Queen. It knocked our communications down for years. This planet was the birthplace and kingdom of our greatest enemy, Galaxia. She drained it in a last attempt to take over our kingdom. The Moon Court had to use al the power of the 9 planets and Earth's moon to restore communication and repair shields. This is how we know about your home. So when we saw life force being restored to this place, naturally we were very concerned for our safety, so my Queen sent me here to investigate.: The cat began to relax as Gaea felt her, It is definitely a her, probing her. As it completed it's scan or Gaea it relaxed and began to speak with, presumably, her Queen. After a few seconds of serious talking between the 2, the cat spoke in a very formal, but relaxed tone.  
  
:Queen Serenity of the Moon, wishes you, Gaea of Douleur, and your bond-tiger Athena, to accompany me, Luna, back to the Moon Palace. Once you are finished restoring what you wish of this plane, you are to contact me. I will set up a link between myself and Athena for your convenience.: Luna replied with a diplomatic nod that only Gaea saw. {Very formal, but I wouldn't expect any less from a royal companion.}  
  
:Tell her highness Serenity that myself and Athena are not worthy of her offer. We will be contacting you shortly.: While she was young, she had learned the ways of royalty and the court. She knew what to say and how to say it, which had apparently surprised Luna quite a bit since she had hesitated before nodding to Gaea's reply.  
  
:Very well.: With that Luna closed her eyes and disappeared. Odd, I'll have to ask how they do that. Gaea shrugged and turned back to Athena. :Ready Smallone? This is going to take all day.:  
  
:Yes, I am ready Dearheart. Proceed.:  
  
  
  
Some where off in a far away galaxy, a pair of black eyes watched as Gaea and Athena repaired their new home. A woman and her bonded fox sat in a small dark room upon a great purple marble throne overlain with black and deep emerald pillows. Othi was a fairly tall woman who wasn't much older than Gaea. Her black and purple striped hair was crimped like lightning blots. She was as tan and her fox Rayann who's eye's matched that of Othi's. Lady Othi, Mistress of the Shadows, had started out much like Gaea. Only the Dark Spirit had corrupted and Rayann and convinced her to kill her parents after it's first apprentice, Galaxia, had met up with the Sailor Scouts form the Moon Court and had been destroyed. She fled her poor home on Douleur at the age of 5. The Dark Spirit took her to a small planet beyond the reaches of the 5 Elements, where it could train her to carry out its evil plans for the Elemental Spirits.  
  
The Elemental Spirits had cast it in to exile from their court, which gave it strength beyond anyone's imagining. It could do thing that not even all 5 Elementals put together could do. It fed off of death and destruction; blood spilled in hate and vengeance satisfied its lust for demise.  
  
Now, as Othi looked upon the planet that once belonged to her older sister Galaxia, being replenished by Gaea's goodness, she laughed. Not a normal laugh though. It was a beserker's chortle that bubbled out of her throat like water bubbling out of an overflowing well. Is scared off a young serving boy that had entered her pathetic excuse for a throne room to bring her bread and wine for her lunch.  
  
"This will be fun Rayann. This girl is weak and is growing weaker every moment. However, I shall let her finish her work and be satisfied of her self before I ruin all she has worked to build. That planet will belong to the Dark once again." Othi said, beginning to laugh again loosing the vision. "Ah well, I shall scry her out again tomorrow. Here. Take this to that poor serving boy that is cowering out side the door. Tell him to take it to the Master of the Dark. He will know who I mean. If he protests…kill him." Othi liked giving that command as much as she liked seeing Naharu. She loved his powers, since she could not love him, for love was not allowed to one who studied the Dark. She needed to speak to him about this new blemish in their world of darkness. {He will know how to deal with her, he always know what to do.} She thought, admiring him. Just then Rayann came trotting back into the room with a piece of bread in her mouth.  
  
:I brought this for you. I already ate mine. That poor boy, I hope I didn't scare him too much. He bolted out of the royal hall like one of your lightning spells.: Rayann said shaking her head as she handed Othi the chink of bread she had in her mouth. That was always her favorite part of the job, scaring the servants. Rayann was a deep gold with midnight black eyes and pearly white teeth. When she chose she could look quite waspish when she showed her teeth. Othi took the food without comment. {We shall see who has the last laugh.}  
  
  
  
By sunset there was vegetation and flowing water on the planet. Soon after the sun went down Gaea and Athena could see more creatures crawling around in the valley and the land beyond it.  
  
:We should find a place to sleep tonight, under cover. I fear these new creatures. I know that they probably will leave us alone, but I just want at least something between us and them besides a steep hill.: Gaea had never liked sleeping unguarded, ever since those bullied started threatening her when she was 7, she always slept on guard.  
  
:Well I remember the carving spell they taught us. Call Element Fire. I'll do the rest.: Although Athena was a mage, she could not call upon the Elements herself. That was why they had bonded in the first place.  
  
:Sure thing.: Gaea loved having her powers back. She felt whole once again. It took an hour to carve a home out of the plateau and another half- hour to smooth it out so that there weren't any sharp places that they could cut themselves on.  
  
:Thank you Athena. Now let's get some sleep.: All Athena could do was nod and let Gaea carry her into their new home. The spell had worn her out, it had been very difficult to carve the rock. She hadn't ever done it in that large of a scale before. The only thing that she had ever carved like that was a small cave to protect herself and Gaea from the tormenters. As Gaea lay her down in a place by the fireplace that Gaea lit with a snap of her fingers, she felt sleep over come her and cover her like a blanket. Then there was nothing but the heat from the fire and a dreamless sleep. 


	6. The Moon Court

Chapter 5  
  
In the morning when they woke, the sun was shining with new exuberance. The air smelled fresh and clean, as I had not in several decades. Gaea could hear birds singing, and other animals calling out to one another. There was a feeling of peace and happiness that warmed her better than any fire ever had. She got up from her place next to Athena, careful not to wake her, and went to the window. Over night the planet had changed drastically. There was life all around, not one plant had been destroyed or drained of its life force. {It lives!} Now all there was to do was make breakfast for herself and her bonded and wait till Athena was awake and able to mind speak the mysterious feline named Luna of the Moon Court.  
  
Around mid-afternoon, Athena awoke to find Gaea next to her cooking eggs on a hot stone in the coals of last night's fire.  
  
:Where did you get those? I hope that you didn't gain any enemies getting those.: They had just finish creating this planet, they didn't need enemies on this planet already.  
  
:Of course not!: Gaea replied in a tone that indicated that she had known that Athena would say something along those lines. :I asked for them and the nightingale gladly gave them up for "Her Highness Gaea and her faithful Athena".: She said chuckling remembering the small bird who was so dark she shone blue/black in the sun. Gaea sent Athena a mental picture of the bird graciously giving Gaea her newly lain eggs. Athena laughed as well.  
  
:So we have become quite the hero's eh? Hmmm. Well those look tasty. Are they finished?: Athena eyed the eggs while her stomach grumbled she had done a great working on an empty stomach the night before.  
  
:Yes Smallone, they are your to eat. When you are finished, we will contact the Moon Court. They have been waiting, Luna came to checkup on us a while ago. I told her it would be just a short while longer.:  
  
:Yes, you are correct again, like always.: Athena chided, Gaea had a habit of 'I told you so' whether she said it or if her silence implied it, she was usually right and absolutely basked in it.  
  
It was not long before Athena had devoured her meal along with drinking half a creek (not literally). Gaea and Athena linked minds and called out a formal greeting to the mysterious cat that would hear.  
  
:Luna of the Moon Court, Gaea and Athena of the planet Amitie, are awaiting to be taken to the Moon Court.: Gaea "said" in her most diplomatic and royal voice. Silently she shielded her next thought, one only meant for Athena. :One has to show that you are equal to these type of people, or they might get the impression that they can walk all over you.: She unshielded her thoughts again slowly, so that Luna wouldn't notice, hopefully.  
  
:It will take a moment for our mages to relocate the gate to your home.: It was only a few seconds before Gaea sow the mages energies begin to waver. She could see them even with out her mage sight, but not in the Elemental color, just as fluxes in the natural world. She watched as the gate appeared in their doorway. It was an arched mass of blue swirling gate energies that anyone, mage or not, could see. In a short moment it stood steady. On the other side, she saw Luna, a small black cat no taller than Athena's shoulder, with a crescent moon on her forehead. Next to her stood a young woman, about 20 years old with long hair that was kept in pigtails that hung down to the floor and buns that looked like meatballs atop her head. Next to her stood a younger girl that appeared to be Gaea's age, maybe younger. She looked surprisingly like the tall blond woman but with light pink hair to her waist. They were dressed in elegant gowns of white with gold trim, their tiara's shimmered gold and jeweled marking them Queen and Princess. {That's funny, Luna never mentioned the Princess. But then again she didn't mention much at all.}  
  
Gaea had cleaned up earlier that morning, including washing her only out fit. A simple dress that hung off one shoulder and went down to her knees. It was made of died silk in light blue, pink, and purple that stood in patches that blended together creating a sunset look. It was studded with flat diamonds since its original purpose was for sleeping, but the people of the Moon Court would never know that. Athena had cleaned her self up following her lunch as was customary for felines.  
  
They stepped through the gate and into the Moon Court. A sea of faces greeted them with warm, true smiles. Luna stepped forward to introduce the envoys to her royal court.  
  
"May I present Her Goddess Gaea of Amitie and her Bonded one, Athena, to her Royal Highness Queen Serenity and the Princess Serena of the Moon." Gaea curtsied in her most dignified manner, going as low as was permitted without looking retarded, as was proper protocol for greeting royalty.  
  
"Oh please!" Said Serenity, much to everyone's surprise, Serena had a big grin on her face also. "Enough with the formalities! Let's consider us long lost friends. And call me Serena no Queen either."  
  
"Call me Rini!" The princess said before Gaea could question the name changes.  
  
"Come to my audience chamber where we can talk some more." Gaea nodded, she along with everyone else relaxed completely. There was no doubt in her place here, Serena made that know right off with inviting her to her audience chamber. That privilege was only given to family members and very trusted friends. Everyone else was spoken to in the royal office, a comfy sort of room with couches and chairs set in front of a wide fireplace and wall to ceiling bookshelves full of books of various genre's.  
  
When they reached her suit she heard the trickling of water as she entered the audience/receiving room. I the center there was a fountain that bubbled over into a marble basin the contained floating flowers, types that Gaea had seem in the palace back on Douleur and other types that she had never seen.  
  
Serena noticed Gaea's interest in a white flower that had so many petals that one could not count. They grew to be a light bluish in the center. {The exact color of my family's given color.} (Every family had a color that identified them as part of an original Element. Blue for Water, red for Fire, so on.)  
  
"Your mother gave me those on my 16th birthday. That was the day before she died." She said as she took a place on a low couch, Gaea followed her example but sat down n the edge of the pond so that she could study the flowers more carefully. {My mother gave her these? I didn't know that she ever left our home!} Gaea was completely taken aback by this new information. Right, now she remembered, her mother had left that day. {So this is the secret she and father had promised to tell me when I was old enough. Interesting.} Serena saw the surprised look on Gaea's face that was quickly replaced by a thoughtful, not painful as she had expected, look. She was about to say something when Rini walked in.  
  
"Mother, may I stay to talk to Gaea with you?" Rini asked in all innocence.  
  
"Yes Rabbit, you may stay and chat with us. No doubt you to have much in common." Serena answered with a feigned sigh of annoyance. At this Gaea looked up and smiled at the princess. Rini was beautiful, she was tall and skinny, but muscular at the same time with a slender face and graceful hands. She reminded Gaea much of herself. She looked into Rini's deep crimson eye's and saw the same glint that was in her own eye's, a suffering close to what Gaea had gone through. {I'll talk to her later, when Serena isn't around.}  
  
"So Gaea, what were you doing reviving that planet anyway?" Serena asked, unaware of the closeness her daughter and Gaea would share.  
  
"Well, I was taken out of Douleur by Athena, after being attacked and almost killed. I woke up to find myself on the planet I now call Amitie- Friend. It was completely drained when I got there and I restored all it's life forces. I had to have a place to live, far away from Douleur." Gaea said remembering what the place had looked like to her mage sight…dead. She shuddered and turned her attention back t the royal pond and the beauties held within.  
  
"Ah I see. Well that makes a little more sense now, we had wondered why someone would do in 2 days what normally took millions of years. Well it's almost dinner time, you don't have any other clothes other than that, do you?" Rini asked looking her over, judging Gaea's size. "Well I have extra dresses that don't fit me any more, they can be altered to fit you. You can keep them if we get them, I won't be wearing them anytime soon." Rini said trying to picture the dresses in her mind as she stood from her place on the floor next to her mother. Gaea forced a smile while trying not to scream. Rini had mind speech! And she wasn't shielded, Gaea shot up her shields, which she had left open for the Gate travel, one's shield could be shattered in a gate, and that hurt! She quickly recovered and looked over at Athena, which had apparently experienced the same thing.  
  
"I'm very grateful of you Rini! Let's take a look, shall we?" Gaea said as she spoke to Athena. :Talk to Serena or Luna about this, see if either of them knows about her gift. I'll see you at dinner. You do still remember how to speak, right. We haven't done it in so long.:  
  
:We haven't had the need to, but yes, I remember. No worries. Go have fun dressing up.: Athena said, sending her a mental picture of her when she was little, about 5, dressing up in her mothers clothes. She saw Gaea smile as she walked out the door.  
  
:Well all I can do is shield her myself, it'll have to wait till dinner though, when I can concentrate some.: Gaea said as she walked down the hall to the princess's rooms. All she received was a mental nod for an answer. 


	7. A new Arrival

*In the previous chapters, Serena was 21, she should be about 26, Gaea's mother would be the same age if she were still alive.  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
In the end, Gaea ended up with 2 evening gowns, 4 normal gowns and 1 formal court gown. She was promised that they would take her to the royal seamstress as soon as they found the time. The formal court gown was made of thick crushed velvet in a dark blue with good trim and waits band. The 2 evening gowns were of rich red and lush green silks with silver trimmings. The others were of pastel cotton and wool fabrics that also bore silver trimmings. For dinner she wore one of the more comfortable cotton dresses. She had already been accepted into the court as a family friend, thus had no need to impress anyone by wearing the evening or formal wear. She as wearing her circlet of star shaped diamonds around her forehead instead of around her thick bun, for, the Queen had pronounced as the crown of Amitie. This marked her as royalty and gave her access to anywhere in the palace and kingdom.  
  
The feasting lasted till late in the evening and ended with dancing, Gaea's favorite court activity. She danced till 2 or 3 in the morning and was later in returning to her room. When she got there she saw Athena up and waiting for her by the fire the still burned in the hearth,  
  
:Ah good, you're not drunk. I talked to Serena about Rini's gift. She had no idea that it was that strong already. She promised to have a teacher brought in immediately since you'll be around her most of the time you're here most likely.: Athena stated, checking her over with her mage sight, making sure there wasn't a hole on one of her layers of shields.  
  
:Why do you say that?: Gaea was very intrigued to see what had sparked that comment.  
  
:Well when we were talking with the Queen today, and Rini came in, we saw how you to reacted with each other. You were like old friends…much like Serena was with your mother. They had a bond of friendship. One that not even death could break. That is how she knew that your mother died, she felt it as you would feel if I died. They were that close.: As soon as Athena said that she regretted it. With Gaea being as tired as she was, fell apart. She hadn't done that in years. The tears of grief and pain came back like a flash flood, streaming down her face. Athena quickly shielded her to protect other empaths from the pain and torment that Athena felt no matter what she did. It was all she could do to keep from breaking herself. She pulled Gaea down with her next to the fire and let her cry into her fur while she purred and projected a calmness as well as she could. :We'll talk more on the morning.: She said as Gaea finally started to fall asleep from exhaustion. At that Gaea laid her head on her free paw and fell asleep.  
  
They woke in the morning to a servant girl bringing breakfast into the suit and putting out the rest of the almost dead fire. She didn't say anything, but shot sympathetic looks towards Gaea when she saw the tearstains and run make-up. She saw Athena awake and whispered her concern.  
  
"Will she be alright?" She said it with so much sincerity that Athena had to smile. People here care. Its not feigned acceptance. Huh.  
  
"Yes she will be fine. Thank you." The girl, only a few years Gaea's junior, smiled and stood from her work and looked around.  
  
"Is there anything else I can get for you or the Princess?" {The Princess? They think Gaea a Princess? Another thing I must discuss with Serena.} Athena thought.  
  
"Is there hot water for baths? Both of us could use one." They hadn't had a real bath for a week or so. Athena didn't know about Gaea, but she felt disgusting.  
  
"Why yes! In that room back there," She indicated with a slender finger behind the couch. "The hot water comes out of the spout nice and toasty. An invention of my fathers." She said with a grin that light up her face. Athena nodded with satisfaction.  
  
"And a clever on at that thank you. That will be all." The girl took the dismissal and left their suit dancing. Athena chuckled to her self. :Dearheart. It is past sunrise. Time to wake and eat.: Gaea shifted positions so that she could look her bonded in the eyes and grumble.  
  
"Oh! One more thing," The girl said poking her head into the room once more. "King Darien will be arriving shortly. The Queen wishes you to join her in greeting him. She will be here shortly after the noon bell to accompany you." With that she left once again. Leaving Gaea stunned and confused.  
  
:What? The King? Oh.: She rolled over and fell back asleep again. Oh no you don't! Athena thought. She stood up and grabbed Gaea's dress collar and drug her in the bathroom and pulled on a cord that was above the marble tub. Hot water streamed out to fill the tub. Athena stripped Gaea and when she still didn't stir, she growled so loud that it echoed. Gaea woke with a start.  
  
"What was that for?!" Gaea shouted, clearly agitated. Forgetting to mindspeak.  
  
:It is time to wake up and show your face. The King is returning, and we're to meet Serena and welcome him back.: Athena said shoving Gaea into the tub that was now full. She gasped when she hit the steaming water but sank into it just as fast as she had fallen in. After a few moments of relaxation, Athena stepped into the tub with her. It was large enough for four of them!  
  
:Oh yes, the teacher that we requested for Rini is here already. It is one that I know well. Carra is an old teacher from the planet earth. I lived there before I chose you. She was my teacher. She will do very well, and I think that Rini will have fun learning with her.: Athena said as she moved over to where Gaea was so that she could wash her with the soap that had been left for them.  
  
:Good, then I can stop shielding her? Wait, I already have.: She realized as she "looked" for the shield energies around Rini. They weren't gone, but had been replaced by a green energy signifying that of Earth. I should have felt the power recoil. Huh. :Athena, did you…:  
  
:Yes, I took the power recoil. You were asleep and in no condition to take them in.: Athena looked up to see Gaea nod. She felt a deep 'thanks' in the back of her mind. She sent a no problem back and leaned into Gaea's rub.  
  
After they were washed and clean, Gaea dressed in a semi formal dress and ate the breakfast that the girl had laid out for them. The fruit, milk and bread rejuvenated her body and mind. She was thinking much clearer now than she was before. All her grief from before had gone into submission and she felt like she did before her parents death. Happy. Her mood spread like a wildfire to Athena and all who came in contact with her. {Finally, she has moved on. May her parents rest in peace and serenity. Serenity…that's right!} Just then there was a knock at the door. Gaea went to answer it with a smile and a skip. It was Serena and Rini with 5 pages in tow for an escort.  
  
"Good day Serena. Hi Rini! Is it time already? The time has just flown by this morning!" Gaea said, startling their escort. Rini smiled and looked at Athena.  
  
:Thank you for requesting Carra as my teacher. She's wonderful! Is Gaea ok?: Rini's mindvoice was a bit shaky, but her none the less. Athena laughed.  
  
:Yes, she's fine. Her grief has risen and she will be like this only for a few more moments before all that has happened will sink in. She'll return too normal. It happens to Gods and Goddesses when a life-altering thing suddenly passes them on. I'll explain more later.:  
  
:No need. I understand.: Rini smiled at her and looked back at Gaea. They hooked arms and walked out. When they reached the hallway, Serena led the procession with Gaea and Rini arm-in-arm close behind. Luna and Athena walked behind them, with the 5 pages behind them. With the boys in hearing range, Luna and Athena conversed in mindspeech.  
  
:Rini's studies are going well.: Athena put in.  
  
:Yes very well indeed. She woke me up this morning by singing to me. Mentally. That was quite an experience.: Luna said singing a bit of the tune for Athena in Rini's mindvoice. It was a country song from Earth.  
  
:Thank the Elementals that Gaea only sings the Douleur classical songs. A gift to me from her mother. She was put in the choir and orchestra in her school. She only knows the classical music. But that will soon change, especially if she and Rini are sword-sworn friends. Bonded from the times of their birth. They will share more than they may wish as their mothers found out.: Athena said, remembering what Carra had told her about such bonds. {I wonder if she has a touch of foresight? Hmmm, I'll have to ask her.}  
  
:Yes, I do see the bond flaring into life. Even now, though they may not know it, they grow closer.: Luna said as she watched the 2 laugh and gossip like old friends. :Her Highness sees it to. She told me so the first time she laid eyes on Gaea. She told me then too. Now I believe it with all my heart and soul.:  
  
:As do I.: Athena had no more time to answer because at that moment they reached the platform in which King Darien was arriving at. He had just landed.  
  
:Where was the King? I was never told.: Athena asked quickly.  
  
:He was on a diplomatic mission to Earth.: Luna said, thinking. :He was visiting family.: She said with a laugh. Athena nodded without another word.  
  
The Gate opened and showed a green forest with many tall buildings in the back round. She remembered the gate being located in a park in the city of Tokyo, Japan. {That Gate is so old and highly used it can probably open with only a thought.} She had time left only for a quick warning to Gaea to act her role as Princess of Amitie. She saw Gaea straighten up and arrange a welcoming smile on her face. She need not impress him, he would be able to see her bond with Rini as soon as her saw her. Either that or Serena would inform him quickly enough.  
  
As soon as he was through, the Gate closed and he strode over the Serena and picked her up in a giant hug and kissed her full in the mouth. The pages were so surprised that they couldn't stop starring. Luna turned and hissed to gain their attention. They jumped a little and looked down. Darien put the Queen down and knelt, holding his arms open to Rini. She unhooked arms with Gaea and ran to him giving him a hug that only a daughter could give. He let her go and stood to look at Gaea. He looked at her in an assessing way, his eyes looking her over critically. Finally her smiled warmly and held out a hand to her She gave him her hand and returned his smile just as warmly. He kissed it and bowed respectfully as an equal. She resisted the urge to giggle and spoke to cover it.  
  
"Your Highness is to kind!" She said finally giving into her laughter. Darien laughed in return.  
  
"I am only as kind as one deserves. Shall we all get something to snack on while we talk?"  
  
"An excellent idea my love. Donny and Brad, run ahead to the kitchen and fetch us something to eat and drink. Then you all can go and have your play time." She said to the pages behind Athena and Luna. They bowed, all similes, and went on their way.  
  
Darien grabbed Serena around the waist and kissed her cheek as they walked toward their rooms. Gaea and Rini hooked arms again and walked after continuing their gossiping from before with Athena and Luna in the rear. 


	8. Stranger in the Mind

Chapter 7  
  
  
  
Once they were all back in the royal chambers and the refreshments had been served, they sat and talked of Earth and Darien's family for a while. Soon the subject turned to Gaea and Athena and their arrival. He was very curious as to why she had come to restore their former enemy's home planet. Gaea told the story of her troubled childhood after her parent's death and the attack that almost killed her and Athena both. In the end he nodded and stood.  
  
"If ever you are in trouble again, you call on us of Earth and the Moon Court and we will help you as best we can. I swear this to you, on my own life."  
  
"As do I." Serena said.  
  
"And I." Rini chimed in, squeezing Gaea's arm. They were all so sincere that Gaea almost cried, causing Athena to tear up involuntarily. Gaea went stock still with a dead look on her face as something evil passed over her. It was as if eyes were looking down upon her and all in company of her. She looked at Athena, oblivious to anything out of the ordinary.  
  
"Gaea? What's wrong?" Rini asked, clearly disturbed at her friend's sudden change in mood. Everyone in the room turned to look at her.  
  
"Nothing, just a headache, but it has passed. I get those sometimes. No worries, I'm fine now." Gaea managed a smile, but had to work to keep it there.  
  
:Do you feel that?: Gaea asked Athena, making sure she shielded away from Rini's sensitive mind gift.  
  
:Feel what? I don't…wait there is something. An evil thing has found us, do you think that it is our harassers?: Athena asked now aware of the presence.  
  
:No, it is foreign to me. I have only felt it in a dream, when we were on Amitie. I think that it is best if we return home as soon as possible.: Gaea said worried now about her new home. Athena could sense her worry and smiled to herself. {She really is born to be Princess of Amitie. There's no denying it now. She's connected to the planet through her magic, just like Serena is connected to the Moon by her mother's love and her purity.} Athena was not so much surprise as she was in respect of her bonded. She had been born to rule, it was clear now. Athena shook her head. {I must inform the Queen and King of this new threat to our planet. They need to know. I think that I should tell Carra as well, she might have an idea of where it is coming from.}  
  
"Athena? Were you listening? Can I?" Gaea asked, showing her annoyance openly.  
  
"Can you what, Dearheart?" Athena asked, pretending she didn't notice the annoyance.  
  
"Can I spend the night with Rini? Serena and Darien said it was fine. Please!" Gaea looked at her with such childish eyes that Athena felt sorry for her. She hadn't had real friends growing up, then again, she was forced to grow up at the age of 7, no wonder she wanted to make friends with Rini so bad. But she didn't have to worry about keeping Rini, but Gaea didn't know that yet. And it was not time to tell her.  
  
"Yes, of course. I will be fine on my own tonight. It will be nice to have some privacy for once." She answered with a chuckle and a wink in Gaea's direction. Gaea and Rini jumped up and hugged smiling and laughing. They walked out of the room discussing what they were going to do that night. Darien and Serena sighed, shaking their heads as a page closed the door behind the 2 chatterboxes.  
  
"Thank you. Rini had friends when we lived on Earth many years ago, but since then she hasn't made any here. I thin that this will do her some good. And the same goes for your Gaea." Serena said turning back to Athena, Darien nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"Well, it is hard not to deny them anything. Their bond is so strong already, anything that would jeopardize that bond would most likely damage their minds." Athena said looking up at the three that nodded in agreement.  
  
"I was going to ask you about that. They remind me of myself and her mother 10 years ago, truly their bringing from the future was not an accident. We were very surprised when we found babies on our doorstep at the age of ten. But we raised them well I see. Well I guess you mostly raised her, after her parent's death, I was so devastated that I could not gather that strength to call upon her to take her in. I scried her out one night and to see her asleep beside you, it made my heart ache, I could see the tear stains on her cheeks. But still she looked too much like her mother to bring her here to the Moon Court to live with me. I have wanted to apologies so many times to her, but I can't bring myself to do it." Serena said with pain behind her ocean blue eyes. But the tears had long been cried out, that Gaea knew without needing to be told. She sighed.  
  
"If you had called on her, she wouldn't have know who you were. Her mother and father never told her about you. They thought her too young for such information. You know how the other Gods and Goddesses would have reacted if Gaea let it slip one day. They were planning on telling her on her 10th birthday, but they never lived to see her that old. I never told her because I forgot. I have been protecting her and raising her different form the outside world of Douleur that I forgot to tell her when she became of age. I think back now and wonder if I should have told her, it might have saver her a lot of pain." Athena said. {It would have saved myself pain also.} "But our bond has grown stronger because of everything, and I think that she is stronger because of it also." She finished.  
  
Darien nodded. "I agree, Rini hasn't exactly had a great life either. She remembers why she was sent here from the future. It haunts her dreams, poor kid, and having a strong gift of empathy, Gaea should be able to sense it and help her. Does Gaea retain such knowledge?" Darien asked, now thoughtful, Athena thought for a moment and searched Gaea's unaware mind.  
  
"She might have the knowledge, but not connect the fact that that is the reason for her arrival in her past." Athena said finally. She remembered dreams so strong that she had dreamed them to. Dreams of horrific scenes that she hoped weren't true dreams. But now that she thought about it, they might have been. {Hmmm, I wonder…}  
  
"With your permission, I would like to scan Rini's dreams tonight. Being with Gaea might trigger something in side them both. But I would like your permission to read her dreams." Athena said startling Luna who had only been half listening to the conversation around her.  
  
"You can do that? But you're not bonded with her." Luna said stunned.  
  
"Yes, but I need her parents permission. I would be looking into her very soul, for that's where true dreams come from." Athena said looking at Serena and Darien. They were as stunned as Luna was. She could tell that all three of them were mindspeaking. She waited, trying her best to look indifferent. Finally Luna spoke.  
  
"How can you do this if you are not bonded?" Athena looked at them and said simply,  
  
"I insert my conscienceness into hers once she is asleep. It is like what you would do if you, Serena, were going to see through Luna's eye's, but instead of opening up your eyes you turn your mind inward. You look for the warmth of their soul and go towards it till you can hear or see their dreams and visions. Simple really." Athena said. She stood up and bowed.  
  
"I must leave to prepare my self for dinner, unless you have any more questions for me?" Athena asked, hopping for none.  
  
"Not at the moment. We'll see you in the Great Hall." Darien said, obviously the only one who had any room in their head to respond. Athena nodded and walked out. {I need some time to clear my head before tonight.} She thought as she headed down the hall past the gardens to the rooms she shared with Gaea that she knew would be empty and quiet. Suddenly she felt those evil eyes on her again. This time they looked upon her with such malice that it made Athena waver in her steps and almost fall over. {Thank the Elements that there isn't anyone in the hall to see this.} She thought as she looked around and found no one but the paintings on the wall. She heard 2 blood curdling screams in the back of her mind that she knew were those of Gaea and Rini. But she heard nothing with her physical ears. No one else would know that the 2 were in danger or hurt, even dead. 


	9. The New Evil

Chapter 8  
  
Othi laughed her madwoman's chortle. As she saw the 2 girls fall to the floor clutched in each other's arms, to frightened to scream. Rayann turned to look at her bonded and shake her head. She slicked back her fox ears and stared into the basin. Naharu and his raven Solan laughed with her. {They've all gone mad!} Rayann thought, careful not to convey this to Othi. Though they were bonded, their bond was growing weaker everyday. Rayann did not approve of the evil that Othi caused, and approved even less of her love Naharu.  
  
He was a tall man with a good build and a body to make even the most spectacular of fighters envious. His black hair was streaked with red in front to signify his chosen color. His eyes were the black of night, stained that way from all the Dark magic he used. He had come up with the way to hurt the children of his woman's enemy. 'A knife through their back' as he had put it. He had turned their greatest fear into a killer. He took their fear, their past, and repeated those memories over and over till they would eventually die. When their children died, they would wither away from the guilt of not being able to save them. Then the Mistress of the Shadows could take over the Earth and Moon, making it all the easier to take the rest of the planets in that galaxy. With out their Queen and King, the Sailor Scouts would wither away into heartless warriors, to wrapped up in their grief to fight back. Othi laughed and laughed as the spell was cancelled when a presence entered the room that the young girls were in. This presence carried with it the backing of all 5 of the Elements of the Light.  
  
She turned to Naharu with rage in her eyes and hostility in her words. "You said that it was not going to fail!" She wailed. "You promised that I would complete the task that my sister did not finish! You said that I would have vengeance!!!" She was so mad she spit fire at him. He simply held up a hand that deflected it. Rayann leapt down from Othi's lap, with her bonded in this kind of rage, she could get hurt. Naharu walked over to her and held her I his strong hands. She struggled to get free of his grip, but a moment she gave up and looked away.  
  
"My dear, look at me." He said, shaking her a bit to gain her attention. She turned and faced him regretfully. "I love you, and I promise that you will have the Universe, but it takes time. You'll see. I can't do anything with the guardian there. Have patience my sweet." He said and gave her a kiss. "Come with me to my room, I'll make you see." He smiled a promise- filled smile and let her go. She followed him out of her working room and down the hall to his chambers where she would forget about the Moon Court and the little Goddess, for a short while anyway.  
  
  
  
:I'm coming girls!: Gaea screamed in response. She felt a fear greater than her own, threaten to cover her like a quilt, she fought it as she ran the opposite way down the hall to where Rini's rooms were. She almost ran over a page carrying firewood and a servant bringing someone's clean laundry. {I'll apologies late}r. She thought. {Right now I have to get to the girls.} :Luna, Serena, Darien! Meet me in Rini's chambers! NOW!: She felt them shaking themselves out of shock, they had felt it to, Serena and Darien through Rini and Luna through her bonded, Serena.  
  
:We're coming: Came Darien's mindvoice, again the first to recover.  
  
As she rounded the corner that would take her to the princess's rooms she saw coming down the hall the other way, Carra. Since she was Rini's teacher, she had a direct link to her that made teaching her easier.  
  
:This is not good.: Was all she got from her old teacher. She skidded to a stop in frond of Rini's door that stood open. Athena shoved her way through and ran to Gaea's side. She lay crumpled on the floor, hugging Rini. Carra burst in and bustled over to the opposite side of the 2 girls. The malice had left when she knelt beside her but she felt the eyes, watching. Then it felt satisfied and left.  
  
"At least they still live. Help me get them apart." She said pulling Rini away from the dead looking Gaea. Athena grunted at the comment and order both, pulling Gaea by the collar away from her sworn friend. She could see the cuts on their hands that had been made by a small knife, they had made each other blood sisters, deepening the bond that they already had. Both of them had magic in their blood, when one with magic made a blood vow, it forever bonded them, even after death. In their case, it could do more harm than good. Stupid girls! Athena thought, she could see Carra looking at the cut on Rini's hand and thinking the same thing.  
  
Just then Serena, Darien and Luna came rushing in to see their daughter and her blood-sworn friend laying n the floor almost lifeless. 2 pages followed through the door and stood there frozen and pale. They swarmed around the Princesses with questions flowing from their mouths.  
  
"QUIET! Please!" Athena growled as everyone fell silent and looked at her. "Pages, fetch the doctors. Quickly!" They obeyed and tore out of the room and down the hall to find help. Gaea turned back to the Queen and King.  
  
"See if you can reach her mentally." Athena said looking down at Gaea and put herself into a light trance.  
  
"How?" Serena cried, tears streaming down her pale face. Btu Carra answered for her.  
  
"Call out to her, she'll hear you. Don't stop till she answers. Calm her mind, it'll be in a torrent of panic." She said inclining her head at their daughter. She nodded and did as she was told.  
  
Athena was just about to call out to Gaea when she was hit by flood of visions. They were of many things that Athena both knew and things that she had never seen before. They were things right out of a nightmare. Athena screamed and broke her trance.  
  
"Your Highness don't!" She yelled as Serena started to go into a trance. She looked up at Athena startled.  
  
"Don't! Why in the hell not?!?"  
  
"You'll only be bombarded with visions to horrific to mention. We must block them or they will die! It is killing their minds slowly and the blood- bond they made is only making it worse!" Athena started to cry and then stopped herself. She had to concentrate is she was going to save her bonded. 


	10. The Price of Friendship

Chapter 9  
  
  
  
Gaea and Rini clasped hands, blood trickling down their wrists.  
  
"Blood sisters?" Rini said.  
  
"Blood sisters." Gaea said and nodded to seal the binding ceremony. Just then she was hit with a flood of visions, things that she had dreamt about and others she knew for stories, still some things that she had never in her wildest dreams had seen. All, horrible death and destruction. She saw people's faces twisted in fear and pain. Blood was everywhere. She opened her eyes to see Rini looking the same way she thought she looked, shocked and pained. The visions flooded her vision as she blindly reached out for Rini. She found her and held her in a hug of desperation. She knew that Rini was seeing the same things that she was. She felt herself falling and the visions fell with her. She tried to run away, but her body wouldn't respond. She called out for Rini in her mind, found her quivering self image and held it as it grasp on to her for safety and refuge. (Everyone has a mental projection of them self, it's the you that you see in dreams and stuff. If they, being the characters in my story, link minds, they see each others mental image as their body.) They clung to each other for what seemed like an eternity, the horrific scenes playing around them like a hurricane. She could hear people talking to her and Rini, but she could not answer them. All she could do was sit there and cling to Rini with her life. Rini could also hear the voices "out side" but she couldn't reach them either. Then all of a sudden…all went dark.  
  
"Their asleep, but I can not say how well they'll be when they wake up, or when they'll wake up." No on said a word at this, Carra sighed, wary from the long, hard work she had just completed. Serena and Darien sat in each other's arms by the fire in Carra's chamber where they had taken Gaea and Rini to shield them. The girls had bonded so tightly that when the takedown spell was cast on them it went doubled its strength. They had been in so much shock for so long that they had linked minds so well that it took 2 days to free their minds from each others grasp. When they were first found, Athena had tried to reach Gaea mind-to-mind, what she met there on the edges of Gaea's mind had kept her pretty quiet that first day. They didn't know what prolonged exposure to those visions would do to their minds. Yes they were strong girls, but even the strongest minds have a breaking point, and you never know what it is till it is too late. Athena sat as close to the fire as possible, she had been helping Carra the past few days, trying to free her bonded's mind from her friends so that she could shield her from the effects of the spell. It had worked in the end and her mind was safe and resting.  
  
"I will go talk to her now. I must see what state her mind lays in after that." Gaea stated feeling her stored energies come to her aid and give her enough strength to carry out this last task before she would allow herself to collapse in a heap and sleep till lunch time the next day. She got up and walked through the door across the room from her. They all watched her go. She closed the door behind her, a sign that she was not to be disturbed. She walked over to the side of the queen sized bed that help to two girls that still clutched each others hands, at the moment that they broke their minds apart, they reached out and grasped hands. They hadn't gotten them apart since. {It's the blood bond mixing with the bond of friendship. Senseless girls.} Gaea shook her head and lay down on the bed almost on top of Gaea. She went first into a light trance, found the edges of her mind and then went into a deep trance so that she could go into the far reaches of her bonded's mind.  
  
:Gaea. Dearheart. Can you hear me? Come back to me, Dearheart. Come find me. I'm here.: She called out into the corrupt abyss of Gaea's mind. She "sat down" and waited. In her mental image, she was a woman about 18 years old. Not very tall, but very well muscled. She had brown hair that shown in the false light she created around her like a beacon for Gaea to find in the darkness. She wore a sleeveless dress that was cut short above the knees and was pleated at the waist. It reminded her of the uniform of the Sailor Scouts, but in dress form instead of a white leo and colored skirt. (Tsa, Britt…you know what I mean! HeHe!) Soon she saw a light blue light in the distance and heard a noise, like the sound of a crying child.  
  
:Dearheart, come here. I'll help you. It's me…Athena…Smallone.: The figure looked up and tilted it's head in contemplation for a moment, suddenly the light that surrounded the figure brightened and it ran towards Athena. As it grew nearer, she saw dark circles under her "eyes". It was Gaea sure enough. She ran us to Athena's image and hugged it. She felt cold in her arms. {Why is she this cold? Even her image should be warm.} Gaea broke the embrace and held Gaea out by the shoulders to look her over. She had thinned a great deal, but that was to be expected. Her eye's barely held on to the life that they once held within them. :Are you alright Dearheart?: Gaea let her "face" show deep concern.  
  
:I am now that you're here Smallone. It was so horrible! I could see things from my past and other dimensions. Rini and I have been talking and she told me about her dreams, I know everything. I remember.: She looked her tiger, now a woman, in the face that she always wore when they met in the mind. {Does Athena know? Of course she does, or she wouldn't look guilty like that. How long has she known? Is there anything else that she hasn't told me?} Gaea almost became infuriated, then regained her composure and look at Athena again with a questioning glance. Athena almost cried aloud.  
  
:I'm sorry I never told you before, but I was sworn not to tell. If you figured it out on your own, I was inclined to tell you, not everything mind you…but I guess it's a little late for that, huh?: Athena said, a mental tear trickling down her face that showed real grief. It was hard to hide your emotion when you were linked min-to-mind, it took great skill and almost all of your concentration, which was devoted to Gaea at the moment. Gaea hugged Athena and just simply held her for a long time, emotions and healing energy passed between both of them. Finally Athena broke the hug and smiled, fatigue plagued her face and posture. :I must go, I have been working on you and the squirt for 2 days.: Gaea nodded and smiled.  
  
:Get your rest, small one. I'll be alright now. I'll keep Rini company. She's strong enough for visitors also. Tell Serena and Darien. Good night beloved.: And with that Athena smiled and faded out, reluctant to leave her bonded. Finally she blew a kiss and winked out.  
  
Athena woke to a dying fire and a headache. {I need to eat, drink and sleep. In that order. I won't do her any good in this state.} She thought as she slid off the bed, careful not to disturb the girls. She walked out the cracked door and woke Serena to nod at the door. She woke Darien and they rushed in. Carra awoke at that moment.  
  
"She is strong the I take it?" Se said cautiously.  
  
:Yes. They both are and will recover with time.: Athena said too blanketed with sleep and exhaustion to speak out loud. Carra nodded and took the plate next to her and set it on the floor in front of Athena. She bent her head and scarfed down the clod meat and bread, barely tasting it. Then Carra put a bowl down and poured water into it from a pitcher that had been placed away from the fire to keep it cool. After she finished the food, she gulped the water down and stumbled out of the room to a side chamber and fell on the blankets that had been placed on the floor for her to sleep on. She drifted of to sleep in a peaceful, dreamless sleep. 


	11. Safe?

Chapter 10  
  
  
  
It was late the next afternoon when Athena was awakened by a servant sent by Carra to make sure she ate and drank. After she had eaten a whole roast chicken, a loaf of bread and drank a pitcher of apple juice, she went to check up on Gaea and Rini. They we still in Carra's chambers down the hall. When she arrived she found Serena and Darien gone and Carra sitting in the window reading a very large book. When she looked up and saw Athena she closed the book a bit and smiled casually.  
  
"May I go see her?" Athena asked, knowing the answer.  
  
"Of course dear, go on in They should be waking up soon." Carra said resuming her reading. Athena nodded and walked across to the back room where the girls lay together on Carra's bed. Athena sat down on the floor beside Gaea and into a light trance.  
  
:Dearheart? I am here.: She called out into her bonded's mind. At that moment she felt Gaea's conscience stir and awaken. Athena opened her eyes and broke the trance. Gaea and Rini lay awake, eye's blinking rapidly against the afternoon sunlight the was streaming in through the open window. Gaea turned her head towards Athena and smiled.  
  
"I told you so." She said with a giggle at their old joke. Then she turned all solemn and straight-faced. "I need water." She said attempting to moisten her lips with a dry tongue.  
  
"Me too." Piped up a voice on the other side of the bed. Rini sat up and yawned, stretched her arms over her head. They both looked pale and skinnier then they had before the spell fell upon then a week ago. Athena trotted over to the table that lay next to the window and grabbed the pitcher handle in her mouth and brought it over to where the girls were now sitting on the floor in the sunlight. Rini took it and waited for Athena to bring the cups, they were both tempted to drink straight out of the pitcher. They poured glass after glass of water and finally felt satisfied. Athena left to get a servant to bring them food. Rini brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them as Gaea lay on her back in the warm sun.  
  
:Those visions were awful! But they are just the beginning of more to come. I have seen most of those in my dreams, but others I know were completely new.: Rini said. Gaea sat up and nodded, hugging her knees also.  
  
:I know. I have seen many of those scenes over and over again in my dreams and I agree that some of those are new. I think that some of them might be from our future as well as our past. Maybe we should look in the library for stuff in the past. The future will have to wait.: Gaea said thinking. All of this disturbed her so much. She could smell the power of the Elements all around like a stench. But in the middle of it all, there was another smell, one of death and destruction. It reminded her of old, dried blood.  
  
:There isn't anything there. I've checked many times and even bothered the royal historians about it. All I got was 'your too young to hear of such a war' and bad excuses like that. I threw a book at him and stormed out.: Rini's face lit up in a grin of feigned innocence. Gaea laughed. At that moment Athena returned with a serving boy with a tray of food. The conversation ended.  
  
"I think that it is time to return to my home. I have been away long enough, I worry about the creatures that have taken refuge there." Gaea said looking to Athena for support. She had to try really hard not to cry, she didn't want to go. {I must go, my home needs me, it misses me, I can feel it. And I can scry Rini out when I get lonely and talk to her through the fire like Carra showed us.} She put on a smile of indifference.  
  
"If that's the way you feel sweetie." Serena said nodding her head, understanding. Gaea and Rini had talked late last night about this and so Rini said nothing against it. The redness of tears still could be seen on both the girls' faces. "I'll have the mages open the gate for you in an hour. K?" Serena said sadly, Gaea was like another daughter to her, and Serena was the closest thing to a mother she had had since she was 7. She stood and looked at Rini, they were in the royal audience chamber in the middle of a full council meeting.  
  
"Your Highness, may Rini come with me to walk in the gardens?" She asked. Rini straightened in her seat and looked at her mother.  
  
:Please!: They said at the same time. Serena almost jumped and smiled at them.  
  
"Yes, of course. I'm sure all these official matters bore her anyway." Serena looked to Darien for agreement. He nodded smiling.  
  
"I think that it will be goo for both of them." He said and gestured for them to leave. They stood and bowed once before walking calmly out for the chamber. Once out in the hallway, they ran to the royal gardens that lay across the palace. It was very uncourtly for them to run like that, in full court dress, but they didn't care. Once they reached them they stopped to catch their breaths and stare at the flowers that had just come into bloom. It was so pretty out there that, for a while, they didn't say a word, just walked and enjoyed the company of their friendship. Finally Rini broke the silence.  
  
"I'll really miss having a friend at the palace to talk with." She said with a sigh. They say down in a shady spot under a huge maple tree.  
  
"So will I. There are only animals on Amitie, but I know that something is wrong and so I must go. I fear that we will not be seeing each other for a while." Gaea looked down as she said the last sentence. Deep I her heart she knew that she would bee in danger on Amitie and that this would be the last time she saw any one in human form. Though the Elements wouldn't allow her to know why, she knew it was a fact. {I won't tell her. She'll make me stay and that will change things for the worse. I must do whatever it is that needs doing…no matter what the cost is to me.} She thought, shielding her thoughts hard against Rini's mind. {She must not know.}  
  
At that moment Othi and Naharu were standing on Amitie looking out across the valley that Gaea and Athena had first stood.  
  
Othi laughed. "The poor girl! Son all her work will be destroyed once and for all and she will be destroyed along with it!" She laughed again her madwoman's chortle. Naharu looked at her with sad eyes. Over the years that they had been watching Gaea and her bonded Athena, her had become attracted to her, and he loved her, unlike Othi whom he enjoyed playing with but could never "love". {I won't let her destroy Gaea like she destroyed her sister.} He nodded. Othi saw him and silenced herself to consider him.  
  
"What?" Naharu demanded.  
  
"Why did you nod? And what are you thinking about, I can hear your thoughts spinning, but I can not hear what they are." She said, she almost sounded frustrated.  
  
"Oh nothing, just admiring the girls efforts. That's all." He stated looking out over the valley again. {It is a vile thing that the Elementals do to me. Cursing me like this, do I stay true to the Dark One? Or do I go back to the ever-faithful Elementals? Damn!} Othi suddenly smiled. She had been scrying in the mist of the waterfall that fell nearby.  
  
"What do you see?" Naharu asked casually. Not expecting anything of importance.  
  
"Oh goody! She's coming home! She's leaving right now. They're opening the gate right over there. She said and pointed to where Gaea's house stood carved into the cliff face. "Let's greet her, shall we." Naharu smiled but inside, he fought the Dark. He followed Othi through the temporary gate to the other side of the valley. They reached there just as her gate closed. Othi began to laugh at the look on Gaea's face, one of utter surprise and horror. {Well at least she has the brains to be frightened.} At that moment her tiger stepped in front of her and growled at the intruders. Othi laughed and conjured a ball of fire and flung it at Athena. There was a blinding light and screams. Naharu looked away as a thought struck him.  
  
As soon as Gaea stepped out of the gate she felt the presence that she had felt on the night that the spell of iteration was cast. She looked to where it seemed to e coming from and went on guard.  
  
:Athena!: Athena stepped in between her and the Dark strangers and growled. There was a male and a female standing there looking at her. The female she recognized even though she had never seen her before. Just then a thought cane to her from the Elements. {One with malice shall look upon you and laugh with fire.} Just then a fireball flew at them from the woman's hand. Gaea screamed and leapt, grabbing Athena's ceremonial collar to taking her with her. The heat from the fire seemed to scream hatred. {OTHI!} The name hit her like the fireball would have if she had not moved. Once, when she was very little, her neighbor had had 2 daughters, one named Galaxia and the other named Othi. Galaxia was killed by her younger sister in a gruesome murder. But when Galaxia was found, Othi had already fled to a far off place. No one knew where or why, and no one ever spoke their names again. This evil woman that faced her now was her old neighbor coming to kill her.  
  
:Smallone, what do we do?: Gaea practically whimpered.  
  
:We fight and pray to the Elements that they help us.: Athena said obviously as shaken as she was.  
  
Gaea nodded and stood up to face the perpetrators. Wait! Weren't there 2! Only Othi stood to face her now. The man stood of in the distance calling to something. Suddenly a big black raven flew out of a gate and on to his arm. A fox followed but it landed next to Othi. {So they have brought in their bonded to help them, eh}? She thought. {Interesting.} But instead of turning back to help Othi, the man raised up his arms to the sky and began chanting. At that moment Othi turned and saw what was happening.  
  
"What are you doing dolt?" She screamed in rage. When he didn't answer her, black fire began to burn in her eyes. Gaea and Athena took and involuntary step away from her. She didn't notice. Suddenly Gaea saw a rainbow of light come down from the sky. She tilted her head in misunderstanding.  
  
:Switch to your mage sight.: Athena said, not saying why, she did so and was surprised at what she saw. The man was black, the black of the Dark One. The rainbow she had seen with her physical sight was really the Elemental Spirits. They swooped down on the man and his bonded and attacked the dark. She heard Othi and her bonded scream in pain and rage as their partners were taken over by the Spirits of the Light. When she switched back to her physical sight, she saw what they had done. They had changed him form a pale face man with dark hair to a tan man with blond hair much like Gaea's, while his bonded turned the white like Athena with silver tail feathers and wing tips. Gaea could feel the Elementals lift from them and could almost feel them smile at their work. Gaea was bedazzled at him. He had given up the dark for the light, willingly. When her turned around, she saw his hazel eyes and smooth lips. She could feel the love and kindness in his redeemed heart. Athena looked at her then at Naharu and back at her. She shook her head.  
  
"If the Elementals want it so, it shall be." She said and laughed and shook her head.  
  
"What do you mean?" Gaea asked, very perplexed by her tiger's words.  
  
"You 2 are life-bonded! The Spirits meant it this way. No worries love." Gaea's heart skipped a beat when he looked her in the eyes.  
  
"Hello Gaea, my name is Degen, once I was Naharu but I don't have that personality anymore so I don't hold that name as mine." He smiled at her and Othi saw what was going on and screamed again. {At least she's not that stupid.} He walked over to he in 5 smooth strides and took her hands in hers.  
  
"I love you, I always have and always will. I have searched all my life for you, and now that I have found you, no harm will come to you." He said just loud enough for Othi to hear.  
  
"As do I." Gaea said with a smile and kissed him and the lips. Othi conjured up 2 more fireballs and threw them at the new couple. Degen turned around to face her. Degen, Gaea, Athena and Degen's bonded Solanara all linked minds to fight against Othi and Rayann.  
  
They shielded themselves against the attack, but were stopped from attacking back by the Dark One's voice.  
  
"You abandoned me Naharu! WHY?!?" It was a woman's voice and it sounded full of anger. Gaea stepped toward her lover and grabbed his hand.  
  
He shrugged then calmly said "You had no more to offer me. You took me as far as you could, but I was not happy. Can't you se that I am happy now? And the name's Degen." He finished with a slight growl and a smile that made him look half-mad.  
  
The woman answered "You think that I am not as strong as your precious Spirits of the light…well I'll show you what I can do through my avatar! Your power and that of your little lover girls will be MINE!!!" Othi's eyes suddenly began to grow completely black, no whites showed. She began to chant in a strange language that was almost incomprehensible. As she stood there, the sky began to darken with night and black clouds began to envelop the tiny planet. Lightning cracked overhead and a wind sprung up out of no where. As Othi kept chanting, Rayann joined in, harmonizing to her bonded. Gaea could fell the hatred that feed the power. It frightened her, but she would not let it show outwardly.  
  
:Oh my God! Spirits help us all!: Was the general thought that went through her and all the bonded minds of the Light. 


	12. The Battle

Chapter 11  
  
  
  
Rini was on her way to Carra's rooms for another lesson after leaving the gate room where she had seen Gaea and Athena off. She tried to keep her mind off her friend's departure, but inevitably her thoughts fell upon Gaea. She was nearly to Carra's door when suddenly surprise and fear swept over her in great waves, threatening to swallow her whole. She cried out and grabbed her head so quickly that she almost fell over. Grasping for something to balance herself, she found a warm steady arm that grabbed her around the waist supporting her.  
  
"Rini! Its ok, come inside. Stay focused! Concentrate on walking, I'll steer you." Came Carra's voice filled with concern. Rini did as she was told and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Soon she was told to sit and she sat down in a high backed chair in which she leaned against to help concentrate on gaining control over her vision. Her vision began to blur from tears that fell out of her control to stop them as she felt the emotions overpowering her own senses. Fear, worry, evil and raw power was flowing between Gaea and Rini, but under all the emotions was love of the greatest kind. This kind of love could only come form a life bonded pair. She felt Carra come up behind her and place her hands on her head, putting her middle fingers on her temples. "Rini, I'm going to shield you, hold on a sec." Carra said quickly, but in a low voice that wouldn't ring in her aching head. She began to feel the floodgates close and she was finally relived enough that she could blink that tears away.  
  
"Well I built up the strongest shield I could, but because of the bond that you and Gaea have, I won't be able to block what you're receiving from her completely." All Rini could do was shake her head. She was in shock still, but her mind was in a torrent of thoughts now that she was able to think again. {What's happening?!? What went wrong?}  
  
:Gaea!: Rini screamed mentally with a sob that apparently let Carra know that something was really wrong.  
  
"Let's go." She said, grabbing Rini's arm and dragging her out of her front room and down the hall. Soon they reached to council room. Carra burst in with out knocking startling everyone in the room. There was a full council session in progress as petitions were presented by the various sections of guilds, a very blanched merchant stepped down and away from the white marble table that the King and Queen sat at. Carra marched up to the table and a very interested King and an indecisive Queen, still dragging the princess behind her making quite a scene. She bowed, since she was wearing pants instead of a dress or skirt, and spoke loudly and clearly so that the full council could hear her.  
  
"Your Highnesses, Amitie is under attack and the Princess Gaea is in grave danger." She paused for the effect of it, listening to the gasps and whispers behind her. "Your daughter here was struck with a flood of emotions that I felt as well when I shielded her in her incapacitation. We must sent help, she is fighting, but I don't know who she I fighting or how long she and Athena can hold out against as great an evil as I felt." She bowed again and took a step back to allow everyone to take in what she had just announced. Serena shock her head a little as if to wake herself up and straightened in her chair.  
  
"I have not forgotten the promise I made to Princess Gaea of Amitie. I shall call the Princesses of my court." She closed her eyes and sent out a mental plea to the 4 inner Senshi. :Sailor Senshi! Please come to my aid. The Princess Gaea of Amitie, Persephone's daughter, needs help in battling an evil that has arisen to go against her and the Moon Court.: All who had the gift of mindspeech, however small, heard the call and felt the mental nods of the 4 girls. With that she and Darien stood up almost knocking their chairs completely over and hurried out with Carra and Rini on their heals.  
  
"Mamma, where are we going?" Rini's voice was steady now and no tears were visible I her eyes. {She's stronger than I thought.} Carra thought.  
  
"To the gate room, to meet the Senshi and go to Amitie."  
  
"Your Highness!" Carra began her protest, but was stopped by Darien's glare.  
  
:Let me handle this.: Came his smooth voice. {All right big shot, be my guest!} Carra thought. Arguing with Serena was a battle that was hardly ever won.  
  
By that time they had reached the gate room to find all four girls there and ready to go. They had transformed before they arrived apparently.  
  
"Bunny, please hear me out. If you go and battle with the Senshi like old times and get hurt, or killed, what will happen to the kingdom? Everything that your mother did to save you and the Moon Court will have been in vain. Think about it Meatball Head. Please." At this Serena stopped and starred at him. She got a sad look in her eyes and looked away at the gate that was being rebuilt from earlier.  
  
"Fine, you won. I won't go." A silent tear trickled down her face in memory of her mother that was destroyed when the Negaverse attempted to take over that Moon Court all those years ago. Serenity had died to save her daughter and the Universe. Now Neo-Queen Serenity would have to stay out of a fight that, if lost, would change the agathokakological balance (the balance between good and evil…big word for the day!) forever.  
  
"Moon Mamma, I'm going." Rini said to no one's surprise. All Serena could do was nod at her daughter's strength and devotion to her friend.  
  
"Moon Princess Power!" At that Rini transformed into her Sailor Outfit and joined up with the rest of the Senshi in front of the gate that now held steady. Serena took one look at the scene and bolted form the room.  
  
"Good luck girls, be careful." That said, Darien ran out of the room after Serena. Mina, Amy, Rini, Lita and Raye all looked at one another and nodded. They ran through the gate just after Gaea and her bonded counter attacked.  
  
"The evil is so strong! It's like a tide trying to come in!" Raye said.  
  
"Well than let's keep it form coming in and join our powers with the Prince and Princess!" Mina said. Smiling at the others shock she knew that she and Rini were the only one's who would be able to tell that the man standing next to Gaea was her life bonded Prince. They shared a smile and looked back at the battle unfolding in front of them.  
  
"We're here Gaea!" Rini shouted over the roar of power that was surrounding them. Gaea risked a look back and waved at her friend and the help that she had brought. They ran forward to stand right behind the Defenders.  
  
:This is Prince Degen and his bonded raven Solanara.: She said to the new comers, the love was apparent even in her voice. They all smiled at that. Only then did they look forward to see what they faced. They were shocked to see a pale, slender girl a little older than Rini and Gaea with dark hair and eyes so black they bore no whites. Fighting stances were taken and they watched as they were mocked by this harlot of evil.  
  
:Her name is Othi and she's not to be under estimated. The power of the Dark Spirit is behind her.: Degen warned them. Funny, Rini thought. His mind voice sounds a lot like dads.  
  
A raspy voice that seemed to echo from far away, came out of Othi's mouth, accompanied by a chortle that could only be produced by someone that was not sane in the least.  
  
"HA! So I see that you have brought reinforcement. Very interesting, I shall have fun destroying you all!!! You're to weak to defeat me, even will those pathetic excuse for women behind you!" With that another bit of laughter came. Angry, Raye came forward.  
  
"Mars Fire Surround!" She yelled. With a snort, Othi banished the fire just as it reached her. The others followed Raye's example and used their strongest attack's against Othi, who banished them all, laughing.  
  
"You'll never defeat me. Here's a taste of your defeat though!" She spun around and threw 9 glowing balls of pure power. Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina all went down writhing and moaning. Rini cried out and knelt next to Mina.  
  
"MINA!" She cried as her friend rolled over, pain lacing her eyes with tears.  
  
"Help Gaea, we'll be all right. I promise. Go." With that she and the others were gated back to the Moon Court and the doctors. {They've had worse, Mina's right. I've got to help Gaea and Degen.} Rini straightened up and went to stand beside Athena and Solanara who was perched on Athena's shoulder.  
  
During the time that the Senshi and the royals of Amitie were recovering from the near deathblow, Othi had received an order form her Master of the Dark to destroy her enemies of the Light for good. That would include taking out the planet and the small solar system that held it as well. Othi smiled but suppressed the urge to laugh aloud. {I'll get them yet, revenge will be mine. Long now I have wondered why Naharu hadn't killed Gaea and her ugly pet Athena, now I understand. He'll pay and her with them. Then I can go after the Moon Court and all servers of the Light. The Dark will prevail.} She closed her eyes and opened her mind and soul up to the Dark One. She could feel her fill her with all the blood magic that had been stored for so many years that it came in a flood. {Oh yes, She thought. Naharu will pay in blood!!!}  
  
"Rini you should leave. I don't want to see you end up like the others." Gaea said, a single tear made a path down her face. "There's no more one person can do to help." Another tear streamed down the other cheek.  
  
"No! I won't leave you and Degen to this beast. I won't go!" She said, a matching tear fell down her cheek. Gaea could feel the love and commitment in her friend. She had to concentrate on keeping her voice steady.  
  
"Please Rini, go. Your mother can't stand losing 2 daughters at once. Please." More tears fell uncontrollably. She could not force her self to turn away, she wouldn't give up, Rini needed to live. :Degen, please explain things to her, I can't find my voice.: Even her mind voice was quivering with pain and sadness. He kissed her hand and stepped forward.  
  
"Rini, please listen and understand." Degen looked down on her and grabbed both her hands in his to gain her attention. She looked up, tears in her eyes. {He'll make a fine prince for Gaea.}  
  
"Rini, you need to be alive and well. We are going to sacrifice ourselves to save our world and yours. If the Dark One is not stopped now, she will come after Crystal Tokyo and Earth." He paused to let all that sink in before her went on. She still looked at him, the tears came more readily now like little rivers falling down her face. He could see her heart bleeding from the coming loss of her bonded friend. "We won't be completely gone. You'll still find us in your thoughts and dreams, we'll be real enough. All you need do is think of one or the other for us and we'll be there in your mind, or the mind of any other that should want us. On day, we'll have a child. But it will be born in the flesh. Who will take care of it but you and your mother? Please help us. Do this for us. We care about you and everyone's future." Degen squeezed her hands and let them fall from his. When she looked down into her hands she found a crystal unicorn. She looked back up at Degen with a quizzical glance. He smiled.  
  
"This is to be our child's bond animal. When they are born, this figurine will come to life. Then you will know to come to Amitie and find the babe." He stepped back to the other side of his princess and gently pushed her forward. She ran to Rini and hugged her for the last time. They stood there for a long while. Then let her go. Gaea glanced at the place where Othi had been. The avatar had disappeared. Rini and Degen followed her gaze and swore. They looked all around, then spotted her. She was floating about 8 to 10 feet above the ground.  
  
"Rini go. Now!" Gaea forced out the words, but the pain that they took was obvious. Rini nodded and turned to half run to the place where the gate would open for her. She called out to her mother and saw the gate powers flux and spring open to show her the gate room with her mother and father standing waiting to comfort her. She turned to look at her friend for the last time.  
  
"I love you Gaea." She called not expecting an answer.  
  
:I love you too. Always and forever.: With that she walked through the gate to her mother's waiting arms. 


	13. The War Won

Chapter 12  
  
  
  
:I love you too. Always and forever.: Gaea said to Rini, gathering the strength that she would need for the task ahead. She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Degen wiped the tears from her face with a gentle finger and kissed her open mouthed. It was warm and loving, giving her the confidence that they were doing the right thing. She kissed him back allowing his tongue to slide along hers. When they pulled apart they looked each other in the eyes and sent love and devotion to the other through their ice blue eyes.  
  
:Oh, get a room!: Athena said, lightening the mood.  
  
:Please! Spare us!: Solanara cried in feign disgust. Gaea and Degen laughed and pulled apart. They turned back to face their future and linked minds. All four of them closed their eyes and cried out in unison.  
  
"Spirits of the Light! Give us the strength and will to use your power to destroy our enemy of the Dark!" They could feel the 5 Elementals gather around them to give them power. It surged threw them, one at a time.  
  
:This is never going to be enough power. Even if we each use one Element. It still won't be enough, we need all 5!: Then like a blot of lightning, an idea hit her. :Wait! What if we could use all five at once, each of us! That would finish Othi and her Dark One off for good!: Gaea smiled at her brilliance.  
  
:Gaea, that suicide!: Degen began to protest.  
  
:Is that not what we were prepared for? We knew we were going to die and what would happen, we just didn't know how. Well this is how. I know it was meant to be.: Degen could feel the certainty in his lover. He shrugged.  
  
:You're right. I guess. Fine, let's do it.: He kissed her again and went back to standing next to her. She smiled and turned to face Othi once more. She was now about 15 feet off the ground with her arms coming closer together above her head. {When they touch, that's the end.} The thought frightened her, but she knew that it had come form the Spirits to warn her to hurry.  
  
"Spirit's of the Light, as one unite!" In a rush and a flurry, all five Elementals swam and twisted together, swirling in the air. Othi seamed oblivious to everything, blinded by her previous victory. All of a sudden the rushing and swirling stopped and a silver power reached out and filled Gaea, Degen, Athena and Solanara. They had no time to waste on ohhing and ahhing over the new power or the consequences that it would bring them. They gathered all the power that they were given, which was more than had ever been use by a mortal, and flung it at Othi at the same time that her hands had touched causing their powers to clash in the middle of them.  
  
Gaea, Degen, Athena and Solanara pushed their silver power toward Othi, but the dark one had other ideas. She showed up to stand next to her little avatar, and help to push their darkness upon their enemies of the Light. It was a battle that lasted who knows how long. Soon, Gaea began to tire. Just then she felt another presence in the back of her mind, then another and another. She felt 9 other people in the back of her mind.  
  
:Senshi? Serena? Rini?: She called out. She felt them smile in support.  
  
:Yes, we're all here, even Luna and Artemis, who you've not met yet.: Rini said back. :He's Luna's Husband, he guards Mina and the planet of Venus.: She felt Degen clasp her hand, he felt them too as did Athena and Solanara. {They're supporting us. They know what we're doing. Oh Gods! Help me, don't let me lose concentration or guts now!} Gaea thought.  
  
:We're here for you, this is beyond one, and for all.: Came a voice so familiar that she nearly wept.  
  
:Mother?: The tears that she thought would never again fall again, sprang into life.  
  
:Yes Dearone, I'm here for you to.: She then felt the 10th mind touch hers. She squeezed Degen's hand and went back to concentrating.  
  
The Dark began to over power them. Their power wasn't enough. The Dark One was going to win. {I can't let it win! I can't see all that I labored to build be destroyed. I can't let everyone who loves my die because I couldn't do it! No! This is for you Mother!} With al her will, she dragged up all her remaining strength and power. Everything that she had saved up all her life, emotions, strength, and power, she pulled it out of the corners of her mind and body. She could feel Degen and their bonded doing the same. She opened her eyes and shouted just as the dark was approaching them. It loomed in front to them ready to gobble them.  
  
"In the name of the Light!" She put everything she had into the silver power that flowed through her body and air. She saw it shake and quiver as Degen and their bonded did the same. The Light shot forward and up the Dark devouring Othi and the Dark One. 


	14. The Starry Path

Chapter 13  
  
  
  
Gaea opened her eyes and saw only the light. For a long time all she saw was the light. Then it slowly faded into the night sky, dappled with stars. She blinked looked around her. She saw Degen holding Solanara to his chest. Athena was at her feet, curled us sleeping. She stood up and tried to figure out what happened. {Where are we, we're all her, but where is here? And what happened to Othi and the Dark One? Did we win? All I remember was feeling Serena and Rini and the princesses protecting the inner 4 plants come to me in my mind. Then…Mother was there.}[ At that a tear fell from her cheek to land on a path of starry sand. The whole world was made of stars and mist. She herself wasn't completely sold. She seamed to be made out of the stardust.  
  
:Actually, you're made out of the Elements themselves.: Came a voice from behind her. She turned to see a face that she had not seen for 10 years now.  
  
:Mother? Is it really you?: Gaea was astounded. How could her mother really be here standing in front of her now? Unless she was…  
  
:You won. The Light has finally conquered the dark. Never again shall the Dark One kill or destroy.: Persephone was beaming with pride. She glanced over at the sleeping Degen and bonded as Athena padded over on the starry path.  
  
:Hello Mistress. Does this mean what I think it does?: Athena looked up at Persephone with eyes that were the night sky. There was no pupil, iris or whites…just night sky.  
  
:Athena…your eyes!: Gaea blurted as she stared.  
  
:Your eyes too, Dearheart, are like mine. As are Degen's and Solanara's.: Athena said, clearly amused at her bonded's reaction. Persephone smiled and turned to Athena.  
  
:Yes. The prophecy has been fulfilled.: Gaea looked first at her mother then at Athena and back.  
  
:What prophecy? What's going on? Where are we? Athena! You promised, no more secrets!: Gaea was almost in tears, but form frustration this time.  
  
:Dearone, this was no secret. It was something that was in front of you the whole time. You never asked Athena bout your future did you?: She paused to look at her daughter. :I thought not. If you had asked, she would have told you everything. But I guess it would have been better that you didn't know what was to happen to you. You are I the sky castle built for you by the Spirit's of the Light. You live in mind only. You will never appear in the flesh again until the Universe is completely safe again.: Persephone stopped to sigh, giving Gaea time to spit out what was on her mind. She was angry, but at whom, she didn't know.  
  
:But you said that the Dark One was dead, destroyed, no more would evil reign and reek havoc! Is the Universe not safe?!: Gaea forced herself calm and sat down on the path where she stood.  
  
:Yes, but the Dark One had suck a will to destroy the Light and all who served it that she could still comeback. We must be sure.: Gaea could se the pain in her mothers weary eyes. But there was something else, something that she wasn't telling Gaea.  
  
:What about Rini? What role does she play in al of this? She has to be involved in this somehow.: Gaea knew that she was prying. But she had to know! With a sigh Athena let the rest of the information out.  
  
:Yes Dearheart, the little one has a role. She will raise your daughter. All that stuff that Degen said was true. The Spirits of the Light told him everything when he renounced the Dark.: Athena looked up at her bonded with an indifferent stare, but Gaea could feel the jealousy beginning to grow. {This could be a problem that I'll have to deal with later. Now is not the time.} Gaea thought with an annoyance behind it. She nodded to her mother and her bonded tiger.  
  
:I understand now. My daughter will be the one to fight whatever evil comes along, won't she?: At Athena's silence and her mothers glance away, she knew it was true.  
  
:Well then I shall have to deal with it when it comes.: She sighed and felt the burdens begin to pile up again. Suddenly she looked up to find her mother fading away. :Mother! Come back! I need you!!!: Gaea screamed, but she knew that Persephone couldn't stay, she had fulfilled her part of the scheme and now it was time for her soul to rest once and for all. Another tear came and fell on to her mothers cool, translucent hand.  
  
:Good bye Gaea. I'll love you always. Take good care of Degen and the animals. They'll need you.: With that she smiled winked and winked out.  
  
:I love you Mother.: The only answer she got was a kiss on the neck from behind where Degen had come up soundlessly to comfort his new wife. She felt someone hugging her, she closed her eyes to find Rini hugging her mental image. She hugged her back and told her they were ok. Rini nodded and disappeared. {She's probably waking up about now. Ah well, she knows where to find us should she need us.} She turned to Degen and found Athena and Solanara gone. She kissed him and held him tight as he picked her up and led her off the path a ways. An oak tree appeared I the silver mist. He lay her down kissing her and lying down next to her. She kissed him as she unlaced her dress. He laughed and rolled her on her back.  
  
After they finished making love, and they lay in each other's cool arms, she smiled as she realized that she was truly happy. All her pain and sorrow was gone, forever.  
  
Little did she know that her and Degen had set in motion a destiny that would lead to the destruction of the worlds as they knew them. 


	15. Author's Notes to Readers

Notes from me to you!  
  
  
  
Ok, here's the part of my story where I get to explain all the crazy and confusing things that I have written for all you to read. First of all, I haven't been writing for all that long, so my stories lack that good writer quality. Also, incase you haven't noticed, when I write I give just a basic outline of what's going on. The story isn't written in complete detail, if I wrote it all flowery and detailed, it would end up being a novel that be tedious to read. If anyone wishes to read the full version, feel free to email me.  
  
If you do not completely understand some of the things in this story, you may want to read a trilogy called the Mage Winds by Mercedes Lackey. The first book I the trilogy of an extensive, but exiting series is called "Winds of Fate". It will help clear up a few things.  
  
In the sequel, "The One", will be written a little better. I will have more time to write it from now on since Dance Team is finished. It is about the destiny of the worlds of the Moon Court and Earth and that of Gaea's old home planet, Douleur. Also, for those of you who are wondering about the names I have given Gaea's planets, (Douleur and Amitie) they are French words that I used as names because of their meanings. Douleur means pain, which is what Gaea remembers of her life spent there. Amitie means friendship, which is what she had with the planet and the creatures on it.  
  
If you have any other questions that I did not answer, feel free to email me. I will answer you ASAP!!! Thanks  
  
Serena Rose 


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